The previous two bouts have fallen through for various issues, but with only a handful of days until their meeting at Bellator 165, which takes place Saturday on Spike at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., the fighters seem ready to get it over with.

During today’s media call for the event, Page (11-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) said, even with the history, he doesn’t really think of the fight with Gonzalez (25-13 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) as anything different from any other.

“It doesn’t bother me,” Page said. “Like I said, it’s just another name, that’s all I see, another name on a piece of paper they selected. I’ve just got to go in there and be me, that’s it.”

Despite Page’s seeming blowoff of the fight having extra meaning to him, there has been some bad blood boiling between the two.

Related

Page has been shooting videos taunting Gonzalez, including one inspired by WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin and a recent Halloween post on Instagram where he ate Dora The Explorer cereal as a show of what he plans to do to his foe.

Gonzalez said he found the videos “funny,” even if his take on them was a bit unique.

“I watched both of the videos, I thought it was kind of funny, especially the last one,” Gonzalez said. “Bad choice in food products, I guess. He’s basically eating balls and drinking milk and he’s cupping and savoring the taste. I don’t know how to take that as a callout. I think the victory alone is going to be enough for me.

“… I respect him as a fighter, but after this, I’ll allow him to congratulate me for making him a better fighter. He still hasn’t been tested and I’m going to give him his first loss.”

For his part, Page refused to bite on Gonzalez’s prediction.

“I’m allergic to bull(expletive),” Page said. “There’s no point in responding.”

On March 19, 2011, 23-year-old Jon Jones brutalized UFC light heavyweight champion “Shogun” Rua to become the youngest titleholder in UFC history. But for Jones, it was only the start of a wild ride that at times spun out of control.